Chapter 9

AFTERWORD Hello to those of you I am meeting for the first time and to those whom I have met before. My name is Akumi Agitogi. Thank you very much for picking up a copy of this book, The Bubble Love of the Mermaid. Those of you who have read my work before, at this point, you may be thinking, Hey now, it’s right around here that you usually blurt out something a little more eccentric. Aren’t you doing that again? But, you see, this is my first time being published by Bunshun Bunko, so I thought I’d try to seem just a little bit cool. Don’t worry. I’m sure it won’t be long before I embarrass myself. This is abrupt, but I like Japanese things. I’m sure I remember writing about this in the afterword of my debut book. I like Japanese culture and Japanese styles. Silent serenity, gloom and humidity hanging in the air, the fragrance of lush greenery… I like that kind of unique atmosphere. This time, when I was approached by a manager from Bunshun Bunko, I honestly thought, Can I really write something that will be suitable to add to the lineup of Bunshun Bunko books? I feel like my usual style of writing is like a carefree young person pretending to be a calm, composed adult. Plus, at the time I made my debut, I still had little experience writing novels. It felt really intimidating, and I was starting to lose confidence in myself. However, between when we first talked and when I presented my plan—actually, over about a year—I had time to think it through and came to a crucial realization. Return to basics. That’s the key. What did I like and what had inspired me to first start writing novels? As my life suddenly got busy, I had completely forgotten. —Oh, that’s right! I adore Japanese culture. I’m a fan of mysterious and spooky things. And I started writing novels because I wanted to describe those things I like in the way that I like. In which case, I should write a story that has a Japanese style, something fantastical and a little creepy…but beautiful. And so I set my mind to it. I decided to use the theme of the mermaids and the Yaobikuni because I’ve always liked the immortality motif, and it was perfect for what I had in mind. It’s a great fit, right? It’s a bizarre and mysterious legend, with the faint stench of blood clinging to it. Also, while I was refining my plans for the story, I incorporated the imagery of the fleeting love of a certain Western mermaid princess. It made for a great atmosphere, if I do say so myself. It sounds so smooth when I say it like that, but writing this story was actually quite difficult. While I was getting back to basics, I wanted to put together a story that showed my growth. That was what was on my mind as I wrote and revised, wrote and revised. Before I knew it, it was time to publish, three years after I received the request… I never expected it to take me that long, even though I was doing all sorts of work on my other series at the same time. I feel like that experience really reshaped me, from the inside out. I’m grateful for it. I like to think that it allowed me to become a NEW Agitogi. Perhaps Agitogi, Revised would do nicely, too. That version of me is diligent above all else, polishing her skills without forgetting her initial enthusiasm. I’ve rambled on at length already, but all of you who have kept me company so far are probably thinking, Just as I expected, that afterword was a mess and not very literary, either. Indeed, the essential nature of a person cannot be so easily changed… Which then brings me to the acknowledgments to wrap up this afterword. Let me start with my manager. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be published under an amazing label like Bunshun Bunko. I’m sure I’ve caused you a lot of trouble and inconvenience with my inexperience, but I am extremely grateful to you for showing such courtesy to both me and my work. Also, I must thank Miss Mai Hanamura, who handled the cover illustration. I knew her name before starting this project! I love her work! I was so excited to see her illustrations, and I quietly went to pieces over their beauty. Truly, thank you so much. And there are also all of you readers, who kindly picked up a copy of this book. Thanks to all of you, I will be able to continue putting my works out into the world like this. That’s something I never could have imagined when I first started writing novels. To all of you, to whom I owe such a deep debt, I want to express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart, and I ardently hope I was able to give you even just a few brief moments of enjoyment. Well then, until we meet again. Akumi Agitogi